<p>At first glance, the Ottoman Empire's campaign in Empire: Total War might seem to be the most difficult. With poor lands, an awful cabinet, a very poor selection of early game units, and powerful enemies on nearly every side, the first few turns of the Ottoman Empire are probably the most challenging experience a player can have in the Grand Campaign. So here's a playthrough I've been doing. I'll keep the blog posted on experiences and what I could have done better. This is played on VH/H, with DLCs purchased.
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<nav id="toc" class="toc" data-loaded="false"><div id="toctitle"><h2>Contents</h2><span class="toctoggle">[
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</nav><h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Early_Unit_Overview">Early Unit Overview</span></h2>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Isarelys.2FPalestinian_Auxiliaries">Isarelys/Palestinian Auxiliaries</span></h3>
<p>These are the best equivalent to line infantry you can obtain in the early game. Isarelys are also some of the only units that can utilize bayonets and square formation. Compared to actual line infantry, however, Isarelys are awful, with all-round inferior stats and no rank fire ability. Palestinian Auxiliaries have better accuracy but not much else; in addition, they require a barracks in Palestine which is pricey, and cannot use bayonets or square formation, making them inferior in a melee. Be prepared to support them in any way possible as they will always be fighting an uphill battle. Train some, but only the bare minimum of what you need to survive.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Azzars.2C_Haydut_Irregulars.2C_Bosnian_Panduks">Azzars, Haydut Irregulars, Bosnian Panduks</span></h3>
<p>Without DLC, Azzars are your only early option for skirmishers. If you play my strategy, you'll be losing bosnia for a bit early on and Azzars will be your only choice. Hayduts and Panduks are better than Azzars, with Panduks having superior melee capabilities and the irregulars having better accuracy. They can only be recruited in Bosnia, however.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Deli_Horsemen">Deli Horsemen</span></h3>
<p>These guys are awesome. Their ability to fire whilst in the saddle is extremely potent, making them better than any other cavalry in the early game by a long shot. They don't have much ammunition, but they usually have enough to last a battle. They are the perfect complement to your Isarelys. Don't get them bogged down in a melee with infantry, though, they'll get torn to shreds.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Cemaat_Janissaries">Cemaat Janissaries</span></h3>
<p>These melee guys are quite good at defending walls. There are probably better ways you could be spending your money than recruiting these guys, though.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Organ_Gun">Organ Gun</span></h3>
<p>An extremely circumstantial piece of artillery. Sometimes it'll kill everything, and sometimes it won't hurt a fly. Purchase at your own risk.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Armenian_Archers">Armenian Archers</span></h3>
<p>Available only in (surprise!) Armenia with the DLC, Armenian Archers are excellent support troops, particularly against cavalry and melee infantry. Place them behind Isarelys and they'll handily fire shots over their heads. They're pretty bad in a melee, though.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Artillery_in_general">Artillery in general</span></h3>
<p>Expensive, but potentially necessary. Use geography to make sure that your shots achieve maximum effect.
</p><p>All other units are either awful or have a better version listed above; do not recruit them.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Turn_1">Turn 1</span></h3>
<p>The first turn for every faction is always crucial, as every decision made compounds into the future. I decided from the outset that I was going to switch to a republic due to the horrible ruler the Ottomans start off with and from the bonuses in town wealth growth and research rate, both of which the Ottomans desperately need. The first, easiest choice is to rearrange the ministers so that the best possible stats are available. Destroy the mosque in Anatolia and the coffee house in Egypt, to make room for schools. Offer Venice Bosnia in exchange for Morea (this will prolong peace with them and eliminate one front on where you have to station your troops). Disband all Semenys, Bashi-Bazouks and Musellims (which are nearly useless in combat and eat up your very meagre income). Destroy all fishing ports to make room for trading ports; for what trading ports there are, start building dhows which are to make a beeline for the trading spots. Offer France Mesopotamia. 20 turns of military access, and all your techs in exchange for physiocracy, 8,000 gold and trading rights. Not only does this give a huge boost in funds, it also mostly cuts hostile persia off from you. France is also going to lose the region shortly due to unrest, where it will declare independence as the Mamelukes, which can be useful in any way between being a buffer state and becoming a stalwart ally. Raise taxes to maximum; exempt all regions except the home region from tax. Spend any remaining gold on upgrading cultural structures to make way for observatories. Move the European army towards Crimea, which will need defending from the Russians soon. Sell your technologies to anyone willing to buy; make as many trading agreements as you can.
</p><p>I don't know if this was supposed to happen, but I tried selling the Barbary States my techs and they counteroffered to give me a territory in exchange for my techs and unlimited military access. Needless to say I accepted.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Turn_2">Turn 2</span></h3>
<p>Build schools and trading ports. If you run low on funds, try selling Serbia to Prussia for a good price. This creates a barrier against Austria.
</p><p>Nothing past turn 1 is completely set in stone. Worst case scenario, Persia, Austria, Poland, Georgia, Dagestan, and Morroco all declare war on you on top of already hostile Russia. Persia shouldn't be too much of a problem thanks to the Mamelukes that are about to emerge. Austria and Poland can potentially be a huge pain if they aren't busy killing the crap out of each other (they usually are); proper management of your existing army in the Balkans should, believe it or not, hold off their assaults. Georgia and Dagestan aren't that big of a threat in the early game; as a bonus, if Georgia is wiped out early, they have a school in their territory. If the Morrocans end up at war with you, it's probably because they declared war on the Barbary States. Should this happen, it's better to ditch the Barbary States. Keep those trade lanes open at all costs! They are your lifeblood in the beginning of the game.
</p><p>I was quite lucky and only Georgia and Dagestan declared war on me. I wiped them out with a small army of Isarelys and Armenian Archers.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Turn_3_and_onwards">Turn 3 and onwards</span></h3>
<p>The revolution should either be here or be here soon. Make sure you have no troops in your home region when it happens, otherwise there's a good chance they're going to be your enemies. Enjoy your new government with a better than incompetent ruler and better research rates!
</p><p>Build schools in as many places as you can get away with. Focus on army techs, agricultural techs, and enlightenment before working on the others. The more agriculture and enlightenment you have, the faster your regions develop and become actually meaningfully taxable. Schools cost an arm and a leg but pay off immensely in the long run. On a similar vein, build observatories everywhere. Coupled with the revolution to a republic, and you will have an insanely fast research rates and lots of simultaneous research going on. Sell your techs to enemies of your enemies and use that money to build more observatories and upgrade your schools.
</p><p>Of even higher priority than schools are trade routes. Capture as many routes as you can (one ship on each node, fill them up later). Build or capture as many 5th rates as you can for defense against those damn pirates. Declare war on the Knights of St. John and capture their fleet if you have to. Managed properly, trade can bring in tens of thousands of gold per turn.
</p><p>Keep the Crimean Khanate alive. Not only does letting it fall allow Russia to sell its goods to everyone and make it an even bigger threat than it is already, it allows Russia to build ships, causing all sorts of pain for you in the Mediterranean.
</p><p>Build minimal training facilities, and train the minimal amount of soldiers needed to survive. Save that money for your economy. Focus on farm buildings and school buildings.
</p><p>Going on this vein for the next 10 turns or so, and the empire should emerge from its cocoon of decaying decline a refreshed and economically powerful force. From then on the world is your oyster. You could take out Russia in a long war across its empty lands; you can (you have to, actually) steamroll Persia, perhaps paving the way to India; you could kill Spain and Morocco and renew the Islamic crusade into Christian Western Europe; you could kill off your hated Polish and Austrian rivals to the North. You could wipe out the Pirates if you have the spare time and establish a colony in the Americas. Nothing really rivals you at this point.
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